Epfach is a village and former municipality () located on the left bank of
Lech
Lech may refer to:
People
* Lech (name), a name of Polish origin
* Lech, the legendary founder of Poland
* Lech (Bohemian prince)
Products and organizations
* Lech (beer), Polish beer produced by Kompania Piwowarska, in Poznań
* Lech Poznań, ...
, in the municipality of
Denklingen
Denklingen is a municipality in the district of Landsberg (also called Landsberg am Lech) in Bavaria in Germany. The former municipality of Epfach, which has a history back to the Roman period, is now part of Denklingen.
Geography
Denklingen i ...
in the Upper Bavarian
District of Landsberg,
Bavaria
Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total lan ...
,
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
.
History
Around 14 BCE there was, near the present village, on the hill later called , directly on the Lech, a
Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...
road station (''
castra
In the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire, the Latin word ''castrum'', plural ''castra'', was a military-related term.
In Latin usage, the singular form ''castrum'' meant 'fort', while the plural form ''castra'' meant 'camp'. The singular and ...
'') with about 80 soldiers and riders. These had the task of securing the intersection of the
Via Claudia
Via or VIA may refer to the following:
Science and technology
* MOS Technology 6522, Versatile Interface Adapter
* ''Via'' (moth), a genus of moths in the family Noctuidae
* Via (electronics), a through-connection
* VIA Technologies, a Taiwan ...
with the old
salt road
A salt road (also known as a salt route, salt way, saltway, or salt trading route) refers to any of the prehistoric and historical trade routes by which essential salt was transported to regions that lacked it.
From the Bronze Age (in the 2nd m ...
, which came from
Salzburg
Salzburg (, ; literally "Salt-Castle"; bar, Soizbuag, label=Bavarian language, Austro-Bavarian) is the List of cities and towns in Austria, fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020, it had a population of 156,872.
The town is on the site of the ...
, and here crossed the Lech, then on to
Kempten
Kempten (, (Swabian German: )) is the largest Town#Germany, town of Allgäu, in Swabia (Bavaria), Swabia, Bavaria, Germany. The population was about 68,000 in 2016. The area was possibly settled originally by Celts, but was later taken over by th ...
. At the time, it was the most important road junction in southern Bavaria.
From 50 CE, the castra became unnecessary. The expansion of the Roman Empire made surrounding area safe enough. Now a settlement was built on the site, in which craftsmen and traders settled. It was named
Abodiacum
Abodiacum or Auodiacum ( grc, Ἀβουδίακον) or Abuzacum was a town of Vindelicia, probably coinciding with the modern Epfach on the river Lech, where remains of Roman buildings are still extant. The stations, however, in the Itinerari ...
.
In 233, the
Alemanni
The Alemanni or Alamanni, were a confederation of Germanic tribes
*
*
*
on the Upper Rhine River. First mentioned by Cassius Dio in the context of the campaign of Caracalla of 213, the Alemanni captured the in 260, and later expanded into pres ...
destroyed the settlement and left a field of rubble. But between 260 and 270, the site of was re-populated, but this time with an enclosure wall built out of fear of Germanic raids.
Around 355, the settlement was again destroyed by the Alemanni, but soon colonized and rebuilt by the Romans. Until 388 Roman troops were stationed on the Lorenzberg.
![Denklingen - Epfach - Gedenkstein Abodiacum v NO](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7d/Denklingen_-_Epfach_-_Gedenkstein_Abodiacum_v_NO.JPG)
Around 370 or 380 a rectangular hall building with a three-part choir end was built on the highest point of the , which is interpreted as a Christian "community building". After 955, a larger church, dedicated to St. Lawrence, was built, partly over the oldest church from the 4th century. The former coat of arms shows a Roman oil lamp together with the golden Christogram.
Today, the town lies on the
long-distance cycling route
Long-distance cycling routes are designated cycling routes in various countries around the world for bicycle tourism. These routes include anything from longer rail trails, to national cycling route networks like the Dutch LF-routes,the French V ...
, which runs along the
Via Claudia Augusta
The Via Claudia Augusta is an ancient Roman road, which linked the valley of the Po River with Rhaetia (encompassing parts of modern Eastern Switzerland, Northern Italy, Western Austria, Southern Germany and all of Liechtenstein) across the Alps ...
. On 1 July 1972, the previously independent municipality, which belonged to the erstwhile
Schongau district, was incorporated into the municipality of Denklingen.
Visitor attractions
* The small museum ''Abodiacum'' in the former fire department with finds from the Roman period, two models and wall panels with descriptions of the historical period
* St. Lawrence (St Lorenz) church on the
* A Roman fountain house nymphaeum near the school
* A bronze statue of St. Lawrence with plaque on the Lech bridge
* Catholic parish church of St. Bartholomew ()
Literature
* Klaus Fischer: ''2000 Jahre Epfach.'' ''Beiträge zur Ortsgeschichte.'' Epfach 1986.
* Günter Ulbert: ''Der Lorenzberg bei Epfach. Die frührömische Militärstation.'' ''Münchner Beiträge zur Vor- und Frühgeschichte.'' Vol. 9, Beck, Munich 1965.
*
Joachim Werner (ed.): ''Studien zu Abodiacum – Epfach.'' ''Münchner Beiträge zur Vor- und Frühgeschichte.'' Vol 7, Beck, Munich 1964.
* Joachim Werner: ''Der Lorenzberg bei Epfach. Die spätrömischen u. frühmittelalterlichen Anlagen''. ''Münchner Beiträge zur Vor- und Frühgeschichte.'' Vol 8m Beck, Munich 1969.
* Anton Huber, Martha Ikier, Bruno Ikier: ''Epfach in alten Photographien.'' EOS-Druckerei, St. Ottilien 1998.
See also
*
Abodiacum
Abodiacum or Auodiacum ( grc, Ἀβουδίακον) or Abuzacum was a town of Vindelicia, probably coinciding with the modern Epfach on the river Lech, where remains of Roman buildings are still extant. The stations, however, in the Itinerari ...
, old Roman castra adjacent to the village
References
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Villages in Bavaria
Former municipalities in Bavaria
Landsberg (district)
Archaeological sites in Germany